Finally healthy, Jets will be flying high vs. Patriots

The Patriots have played teams with a combined record of 6-25 when you don’t count the one game against the Bills. In that one game against the Bills, the Patriots won 16-10 and Tom Brady was held to near-career lows in offensive production.

One of those games was also against the Jets when Luke Falk was at quarterback and neither Quinnen Williams or C.J. Mosley were available for the New York defense. On Monday night at MetLife Stadium, Sam Darnold will be at quarterback and both Mosley and Williams are healthy again for the Jets defense.

Mosley is a big difference-maker for this defense as he was a part of a 16-0 shutout effort in Week 1 against the Bills, until he came out of that game with a groin injury and Buffalo rallied in his absence to win the game, 17-16.

The Patriots offense has not been its normal self this season. Their rushing attack ranks in the bottom half of the league and will also be without wide receiver Josh Gordon on Monday night. With the Jets defense getting healthy and Darnold back at the controls on offense, I like the Jets to keep this game close and possibly win outright. I made the spread in this game Patriots -5 and it opened at -10.

I believe the Jets are a much better team than we have seen for most of the season. I think we will finally get to see the team that they set out to be this season, again on Monday night with Darnold back at quarterback and the defense healthy. I don’t think this version of New York deserves to be nearly a double-digit underdog. Throw in the fact that Bill Belichick is 1-5 ATS in his past six tries as a visitor in this series and it all adds up to a play on the Jets plus the points.

THE PLAY: Jets, +9 ¹/2.

Getty Images ADD IT UP: With Sam Darnold and the Jets finally getting healthy, plus Bill Belichick going 1-5 ATS in his past six games on the road against Gang Green makes the home underdogs the pick.